LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 13, 2015) - Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza, the fast-casual artisanal pizza concept known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, announced today that it will open a new Central California restaurant, in Tulare, on Thursday, July 16th. To celebrate the grand opening, the restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Friday, July 17th from 10:30 a.m. to midnight to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The highly anticipated restaurant, which features a thoughtfully designed 2,500 square foot interior with seating for 50, is located in Tulare's Monte Vista Shopping Center (1403 Hillman Street).

Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint," serving up artisanal pizzas that are both fast and affordable. Since its first restaurant debuted in 2012, Blaze has quickly become one of the nation's hottest restaurant concepts, with fans lining up each day for the custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s'more pies. Each restaurant features an interactive open-kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the menu's signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisanal ingredients -- all for about $8. The generously-sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-flame oven -- the centerpiece of the restaurant -- where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure that the thin-crust pies are fast-fire'd and ready to eat in just 180 seconds. Restaurants make their own dough from scratch using a recipe developed by critically-acclaimed Executive Chef Bradford Kent (the "Pizza Whisperer"), which requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce his signature light-as-air, crisp crust. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.

"Our mission at Blaze is really simple -- we're taking pizza back to its roots," said Jim Mizes, president & COO of Blaze Pizza. "By making dough in-house, carefully sourcing ingredients, and cooking by fire, we're giving guests a great way to enjoy artisanal pizza without the wait. It's changing the way people think about and eat pizza."

Blaze's obsessive attention to detail extends well beyond the food, with a carefully considered, modern approach to restaurant design. Driven by its commitment to "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet," the restaurant is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging, and features energy-efficient LED lighting. Additionally, many of the restaurant's unconventional design elements were inspired by the company's celebration of individual expression, including an oversized wall graphic, which was custom-built to suit the Tulare space.

Locally owned and operated, the newest Blaze restaurant is looking forward to building strong roots within the Tulare community, offering a spot where guests can connect, create and enjoy. To that end, the restaurant promotes a turnkey fundraiser program that returns 20% of an event's proceeds back to organizations, helping schools, sports clubs and other local groups "cause a scene for a good cause".

About Blaze Pizza The first Blaze Pizza® restaurant opened on Aug. 6, 2012, in Irvine, Calif., and quickly gained attention for its chef-driven recipes, thoughtful interior design, and a service culture that celebrates individuality. Now ranked as the overall #2 fast-casual brand in FastCasual.com's annual Top 100 list, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates 72 restaurants in 19 states and the District of Columbia, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington D.C. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis. For more information, please visit blazepizza.com and facebook.com/blazepizza or click here to view a company video.

Blaze Pizza®, Fast-Fire'd®, the horizontal logo design, and the proprietary names "Pizzasmith", "Intelligent Choices For Our Pizzas, People & Planet" and related trademarks are the property of Blaze Pizza LLC.